Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-31
ORANGE CoUNTY's DIVISION.
Eustis' Convention Votes 10 Take ia
Parts OF sumter and Marion.

Eustis' Convention Votes 10 Take ia
! Parts OF sumter nd Marion.
/ TAvAREs, FLA, March 2S.-COnsider-
able interest has been manifested in this
! portion fine State for "A few weeks past
| in the forming OF a new county out of the
northern portion of Orange county, that
| portion of Sumter bordering on Lakes
Harris and Apopka and lying east OF the
| Palatlakaha creek, and the part OF NJ ar
ion county east OF the Ocklawaha river
and range % as far north as township 10.
There are natural geographical boundary
lines EN- bracing this proposed new county
that meets the hearty approval and
| Endorsement OF nearly every one living
within its limits, except few persons In
the immediate vicinity of Eustis and Fort
Mason, who desire a new county solely
for the purpose OF having the county seat
| located at one of the two places.
| With view to anticipate and Ignore
the wishes of every one except themselves
and to further their scheme, an advertise
| ment was inserted in the newspapers
published at Eusts setting forth the
metes and bounds OF the county of West
| Orange, to be formed solely out OF that
| portion OF Orange county contiguous 10
Eustis and Fort Mason, and leaving out
the portions of Sumter and Marion seek
/
| formed out of this section.
| a few persons living in Eustis called
| meeting OF delegates from the various
| precincts in the territory described TO
meet at Fort Mason on March II to take
final action upon their proposed plan.
At that meeting the manifest unfair
ness and injustice OF the plan was made
so apparent that it was finally resolved
| to call another meeting to be held Satur-
day, March 80, at which meeting nve
delegates from each of the ten precincts
| in Orange county, and five each from
| Sumter and Marion, were to meet and
| take sucn action as was necessary to
prepare bill! for the Legislature soon to
assemb BILE.
Delegates were present from eight pre-
Clncts In Orange county and from Sum-
ter and Marion.
The first skirmish in the convention
was upon organiZation-the Fort Ma
son delegation contending for the recog-
milton OF all delegates present in person
or oy proxy, and the others declaring for
the appointment OF committee on Gre
! dentials. A committee of one from each
precinct was, however, appointed, and 1t
was then discovered that All alternate
| delegate from Eustis was present as
proxy tor the AstOr precinct. He was
ruled out. Fifty delegates responded 20
| roll call.
Two resolutions were introduced, one
| to form tne new county out OF Orange
county alone, the other to take IL por-
ton of Sumter and Marion, and then the
convention settled down to work. Both
sides were ably represented, the close
communion West Orange people by the
celebrated William Watkins Hicks and
small number of satellites, the whole
people by Messrs. Yancy, of Umatilla,
and st. Clair Abrams of Tavares. Dur
| ing the debate, which lasted all the af-
! teTnoon, and which at times was very
| heated, the scheme OF the Eustis clique
was fully unmasked and exposed, so that
when the ballot was finally taken the vote
stood 40 to in favor of forming the new
county out of portions OF Orange, Sum-
ter and Marion. This vote was the last
straw that broke the cancels back, and
the Eustis delegates withdrew from the
| convention. A committee was appointed
to meet at Altoona next Wednesday to
prepare the necessary papers TO lay be-
| tore the LEGISLATURE 10 assemble April 3.
Hon. Frank Jones, OF New Hampshire,
| spent portion of last week in Tavares,
leaving for the North Friday morning.
While here he donated 5000 towards fin
ishing the school house and $500 to the
! Union CONGREGATIONAL church, OOtn gifts
| being conditional upon the town and the
society raising the balance OF the money
to complete the structures. In both cases
! the necessary funds were promptly pro-
vided, and the completion OF the two
! buildings is being rapidly pushed for
| ward. They would be an ornament to
| any town in the States.
The town is fun OF rumors OF large
! land and railroad deal between Alexander
| st. Clair A brams and others which will
boom Tavares into the seventh heaven of
prosperity. The presence here of Frank
| Jones ana Charles Sinclair last week was
! primarily for this purpose, but The nego.
| uations came to sudden termination
| and they have left. A new trade of larger
proportions with the Southern Florida
railway, in which machine shops and
! other enterprises are to be put on foot al
| once, is now the talk, but the secret OF
| Just what is to be done is too we'll kept
for newspaper scrIbblers to get hold of.
j. II. A. Bruce, who kept the West End
Hotel at Orlando, which was destroyed
| by tire Thursday night, is in Tavares
| looking at the Peninsular Hotel with a
view OF taking it. Mr.. Bruce is n we'll
known and popular hotel keeper, and
| would make the Peninsular popular re-
sort. Mr.. George K. Hallas, the present
proprietor, goes soon to Silver Springs to
| take the new hotel now being built there.
The Tavares, ApOpka ana Gulf railroad
is completed to West Apopka, or Mont
| u,
| and trains run regularly from TaVares to
that place daily, except Sundays.
A strawberry festival given by some OF
the ladies OF the Union Congregational
church last Tuesday evening Melted the
snug sum OF $l05.
Work on the opera house. which has
| been suspended a few weeks, has been
resumed, aud the workmen are puttag
up the terra Gotta decorations over the
north front Of the building.
Tie mai! facilities enjoyed by Tavsres
are second "a that OF no place in Florida,
and are tao pride Of her people. The
! News arrives regularly seven days In the
week at GAS p. IN, the day it is printed,
aud the Postmaster is always on hand to
distribute ana deliver mail up to o'clock
in the evening. Upon inquiry | learn
that more copies OF the daily NEWS are
| sold here by newsdoa ers than of any
other daily paper published.